


Five Reports of Friend Rice

by Arytra



Series: Section 123 [17]
Category: Sesame Street - Fandom
Genre: Background Relationships, Fluffy, Gen, Mentions many characters, So Much Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-25 22:45:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16207226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arytra/pseuds/Arytra
Summary: Sometimes, the best food is simple, easy, and enjoyed with a friend.  Friend Rice is one of those meals.





	Five Reports of Friend Rice

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of credit goes to ReleasingmyInsanity for a typo that created this idea. I personally love the idea of Friend Rice. A lot.

Back in college, sometimes it was hard to have the time or even money to make large dinners. This was especially true during times of finals, major tests, and papers. Therefore, it caught Susan's attention that one of the three of them would miss a meal here or there whether it was Gordon forgetting to grab some fruit, Bob half-way making something up and getting distracted before he finished and ate it, or her just not feeling up to cooking and deciding she would be fine until the next meal. As a nurse in training, she also knew that none of those reasons were good nor healthy. Therefore, one day, she made up as simple of a dinner as possible: vegetables and rice.

She portioned it out for each of them and arranged the vegetables in Gordon's as a heart and those in Bob's as a smiley face. Happy with the results, she sat them both down to eat. Gordon was the first to look at her. “Susan?”

“We've been running around without eating. It's not healthy. I made up enough rice that we can share it,” she said firmly. Bob was grinning.

“Mine has a smiley face,” he said, showing Gordon. Gordon laughed and grinned at the heart in his. Both of them looked back at Susan's bowl and frowned. Before she could stop them, they'd taken her bowl and rearranged it to have a heart with a smiley face.

“Oh,” she said softly, feeling the love from both of them. Bob grinned.

“Everyone's Friend Rice should have picture,” he said firmly.

“Friend Rice,” Gordon said with a small smile.

“Friend Rice,” Susan said decisively, agreeing with Bob. Gordon didn't contradict either of them. He did, however, look at Susan.

“Is this dinner going to happen a lot?” He asked.

“Only when you two aren't eating,” she answered. Bob grinned.

“So, with how Gordon cooks, we're living off Friend Rice now,” he teased. Before Gordon and he could get into a playful verbal sparring match, Susan interjected.

“Eat your rice,” she said.

“Yes, Susan.”

***

The idea of Friend Rice continued throughout the rest of their college career and even onto the street. Mr. Hooper had wondered what they were doing the first time Bob brought some down for the other two, as well as for Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Mr. Hooper, Mr. Macintosh, and Willy. Once the idea had been explained, however, it easily spread. It wasn't uncommon for Ernie and Bert to make the dish for each other, often using other picture symbols like a rubber duckie in Ernie's or a paperclip in Bert's. Willy and Mac would often have it on date nights, but they also tended to bring some for Mr. Hooper. Mr. Hooper and Big Bird tended to make it together since Big Bird was far too young to use the stove by himself.

Like Mr. Hooper, Bob had noticed that Penelope tended to take home the food she purchased from Mr. Hooper and he never saw her eating much of anything else. So, on one of the days she arrived, he brought her a bowl with a grin. She looked at him in confusion.

“Why are you giving me a bowl of rice?” She asked. She paused, looking at it for a minute before looking back at him. “Why is the rice smiling at me?”

“It's Friend Rice,” he answered.

“That isn't real,” she informed him.

“It is here! You make it and eat it with a friend!” He continued and waited. She was still new and nervous, but she also wanted them to like her even if she should keep a distance. Plus, she was really hungry. She took the spoon.

“Thank you,” she said quickly and paused. “Is yours smiling too?”

“Yep!” He answered, showing her. “How is it?”

“It's... nice,” she answered, still a little confused. Still, the rice was good and even if Bob was a little overly friendly, she appreciated the gesture. It was one she returned a week later when she made up Friend Rice for him, complete with a musical note in his and a simple smiley face in hers.

“It's wonderful!” Bob told her. She just smiled and promised herself to bring enough for everyone else next time.

***

Travis was still new to all of this. He'd joined Penelope on the street a handful of times and somehow had been pushed into a role as her unofficial partner. He found her brisk, unapologetic, and uncomfortable around most people. She also tried to remember to tell him when she thought he was doing a good job, how to handle certain situations, and had more than a sharp word for anyone who said anything remotely unkind toward him. The exception to that rule being Oscar who was a Grouch and therefore almost required to say unkind things. Still, there was almost a rhythm to his relationship with Penelope that he found soothing if a bit rough. So, when she came in one more and put a bowl of food down in front of him expectantly, he wasn't sure how to handle it.

“It's, uh, nice rice,” he tried. “Is that a smiley face?”

“It's Friend Rice,” she said confidently. “It's rice. You eat it with a friend. It has pictures because Susan gets overly saccharine and she created it the first time.”

“You made me Friend Rice?” He asked, more caught off guard by who had made it than the name itself.

“You looked hungry. Do you even eat?” She asked.

“Yes,” he answered without taking any insult to the question. “You made me Friend Rice!”

“It's not that big of a deal. You should probably make it for the others though. I know that Bob made it for Linda pretty soon after she arrived. Susan introduced it to Maria which was sweet from what I hear. And Gordon somehow managed to make it for Luis and David who insist it was good but Bob and I think they were being nice,” she answered. “You should come to the Street more.”

Travis' happiness was close to bursting. He promised himself to make her all of the Friend Rice he could manage. “Thank you for being my friend, Penelope.”

“Yeah, well,” she said, looking a little embarrassed. “Just eat the rice, Travis.”

He did.

***

Travis knew that Friend Rice had continued to spread over the years. Miles had learned from his parents and then introduced it to Gabi. Both had passed it onto their friends. Big Bird had spread it for his friends, which was often a hilarious sight when Big Bird and Snuffy partook in it considering that there was more bird seed or cabbage than rice in each of their bowls. Mr. Handford had loved the idea and happily made it up for anyone who asked, always eating it with them. Maria had been the first to make it for Gina, who had been absolutely delighted to be involved. While the two tended to keep their not-so-secret relationship private, Friend Rice was one of the public dinners that Mr. Hooper and Harriet had had together which introduced her to the idea. So it continued with others on the street as everyone shared the dish with each other.

Travis hadn't been able to introduce it to anyone yet. He thought he'd get his chance to show Donovan and Kathy, but Penelope quietly got there first in a similar manner to how she'd shown him years before. He'd been disappointed, but it was rare that Penelope mothered the two so he didn't want to say anything. When Alan arrived, however, he'd asked Mr. Hooper to let him show Alan to which the older man hadn't protested at all but rather gave him a look of approval and went back to work.

He made the simple version with the smiley face for each bowl and gave it to Alan while he was on one of his breaks. Alan looked surprised.

“What's this?” He asked.

“Friend Rice,” he answered. “It's a Sesame Street staple. You make enough for two people so you can eat it with a friend.”

“I like that,” Alan said back to him. “Is it always a smiley face?”

“No,” Travis answered. “Some people like hearts better. Penelope tends to make mine the number of the day. Big Bird's are downright amazing at times. Mr. Macintosh tends to make different flowers. Smiley faces are just good to start with.”

“It's a nice dish,” Alan said and the two quietly ate in comfortable silence.

***

There wasn't a set time to show the youngest members of Sesame Street about Friend Rice. Miles had learned about it from Susan, Gordon, and Bob on his third adoption anniversary. He had, in turn, showed Gabi when she was five and definitely his best friend forever. Big Bird had been shown when Susan, Bob, and Gordon arrived on the street. Big Bird and Snuffy had shown Alice when she was two. The point was, there wasn't a certain time to learn about Friend Rice.

After the Father's Day card Marco had made for him, however, Alan felt it was a good time to teach him about the dish. He checked with Gina to make sure she was okay with the idea, which she was, and went to work making the meal. He made up a bowl for Gina as well. Mr. Hooper had taken off for the day so Alan needn't worry about making enough for him too. He put a smiley face in Gina's, a heart in Marco's, and a smiley face in his own. When Marco, arrived and sat down, he put the bowl in front of him.

“A long time ago, Susan made up a food called Friend Rice,” he said, handing the other bowl to Gina who nodded her thanks. “You make it and give it to people you care about to show you're friends.”

“We're friends,” Marco told him in absolute certainty.

“We are,” Alan agreed. “So, I made Friend Rice for you and your mom.”

Marco nodded and looked into Alan's bowl. Before Gina or Alan could stop him, he grabbed the bowl and redid the picture. As had happened years before, the smiley face was surrounded by a heart, matching the other two bowls. Marco beamed at him. “Friend Rice!”

“Friend Rice,” Alan and Gina agreed.

“Can I make Friend Rice for Maria and Luis and David tomorrow?” Marco asked.

“I think that would be very nice,” Gina agreed. “I need to make some up for Donovan and Kathy anyway.”

“Any particular reason?” Alan asked, snacking on his own bowl.

“They made it for me after Father's Day,” she answered. Marco just ate as the other two talked amiably. One day, he'd teach others how Friend Rice worked and the tradition would continue.


End file.
